Is 39 a prime or composite number?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking us to determine whether the number 39 is a prime number or a composite number. A prime number is a natural number greater than 1 that has no positive divisors other than 1 and itself, while a composite number has factors in addition to 1 and itself. To solve this, we will check the divisibility of 39 by other numbers.
Answer
Composite
The final answer is composite
Answer for screen readers
The final answer is composite
More Information
A prime number has only two distinct positive divisors: 1 and itself. Since 39 is divisible by 3 (39 ÷ 3 = 13), it has divisors other than 1 and itself, making it a composite number.
Tips
A common mistake is not checking divisibility by smaller prime numbers or stopping the check too early.